Animal activists will recognize this story the minute they see it.

It's fast become an Internet sensation.

After all, how often do you see a threesome like this? Two dogs and a goat... it sounds a little like the beginning to a bar joke.

But it's really so much more.

The three amigos aren't your typical day travelers. They are lifelong buddies with a really interesting story to tell.

It all began a couple of weeks ago, when one pooch - now known as Echo - and her best buddy Mo the goat were rescued in Garland.

Seems they were on the run from their owners, who were searching desperately for them, when they ended up at the East Lake Pet Orphanage located here in Lake Highlands.

Reader and friend Deborah Brown first alerted us to the story.

"I'm on a distribution list where emails are sent alerting me to animals needing homes," said Deborah late last week.

"Hopefully everyone on the list works to forward the emails and help out in these kind of situations. So many animals have been rescued and placed this way."

But this email message was an extra-special one.

"I am such an animal person, and this story was certainly an unusual combination to hear about."

Unusual is right, especially since what began as a dog-and-goat story has now become two dogs and a goat.

Seems while Mo and Echo were on the lam, Lucky was back at home missing them terribly. Lucky is the third amigo, the three-legged lab who completes the trio.

Dr. Karen Fling, veterinarian and owner of East Lake Veterinary Hospital, explains it best.

According to Fling, the intense media attention is why the owners were able to reunite Lucky with Echo and Mo. After the pair's escape, and subsequent rescue, a relative saw the television coverage and was able to connect the family to their pets.

Unfortunately, it also alerted the authorities, who classified Mo as "stray livestock" and were obligated to remove him from ELPO until those owners stepped forward.

It was then that everyone learned just how deep the bonds are between the amigos. Mo was a mess when the sheriff separated the pair.

"Echo had to go with the goat just to reassure him it was okay," says Fling, in describing Mo being loaded into the sheriff department's trailer.

"It was pathetic to see him so distressed."

Luckily the separation was short-lived, since the owners were able to communicate with East Lake and the sheriff, effectively settling the issue of Mo's stray goat status.

It's not an entirely happy ending, however.

Turns out the Garland owners aren't able to care for the three amigos, and Echo is really sick.

"The family is living in a small, residential area of Garland," said Dr. Fling. "They are financially limited and really feel the better thing is for the trio to stay together and have more land."

The financial obligation is mounting, too. Echo has heartworms, and the cost associated with getting her better is expected to total thousands of dollars.

"We are embarking on the heartworm treatment," explained Fling. "But there are additional medical issues the animals are facing, including skin treatments, dental issues and each of them needs to be spayed or neutered."

Dr. Fling and her staff estimate it could take a month or more to get everyone healthy and ready for adoption.

As their care continues, hundreds of people have reached out for updates, to submit applications for the group's adoption, and to offer donations.

"When I saw the photo of two of them sleeping together, it broke my heart," said Brown. "I made a donation to East Lake when I learned they had been rescued by the clinic, and when I went in and saw them, I knew they were receiving the best care possible!"

In an effort to continue raising funds for their care, local chef Gabriela Kovacic is hosting an event in honor of the three amigos next month.

Gabriela's restaurant, Café Lago, will host an event she's affectionately calling "Ate-Ate" on August 8th, because after all "that's what goats do," she says.

You can join in the fun, which promises an appearance by the trio, on Sunday, August 8th at the café. For a $20 donation, you'll enjoy food and beverages, with all proceeds going to the East Lake Pet Orphanage. A cash bar will also be available.

Café Lago is located at 9219 Garland Road, Suite 1102.

East Lake Pet Orphanage is located in the East Lake Veterinary Hospital at 10101 East Northwest Highway. If you're interested in seeing the three amigos, check out the webcam on the hospital's website here.

You can also look for updates on the group's Facebook page or call 214.349.ELPO to make a donation.